


Jack Knows Dutch

by Oboeist3



Category: Eureka
Genre: Gen, M/M, just a fluffy little drabble
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-23
Updated: 2015-09-23
Packaged: 2018-04-23 02:18:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4859384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oboeist3/pseuds/Oboeist3
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In retrospect, it wasn't so surprising that Jack knows Dutch. Nathan's Dutch, after all. Still, like in most things, they're hardly alike.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Jack Knows Dutch

**Author's Note:**

> Hi there! Oboeist here. Just had a lot of Jack/Nathan feelings I wanted to get out there. The idea came mostly from elizajane's fantastic series 25 Ways To Kiss A Naked Man, which you should all go read. I'm sure their Dutch is far more accurate than mine. XP 
> 
> Anyway, hope you enjoy and DFTBA!

In retrospect, it wasn't so surprising that Jack Carter, Sheriff of Eureka, knows Dutch. Nathan's Dutch, his whole family is. Though they all speak a perfectly acceptable, if slightly slanted English, Carter's got a stubborn streak and a desire to prove he's good enough for the Nobel laureate in question, despite half the town thinking it ought to be the other way round. No, in a sense, it's not surprising at all.

What is surprising is the scope of his knowledge. He's not just a conversational speaker, like it'd be easy to assume. He doesn't stumble through conjugations or twist words around like he's so apt to do in the equally foreign language of science. He is a slow speaker, but not because he doesn't know what to say, more like he's stretching each word out to give it proper meaning it deserves.

It's nothing at all like Nathan's Dutch, which comes in quick spurts of anger or frustration, more carelessly jammed together. A verbal train wreck. More than one of his assistants has been sent running by one of the cruder expressions flying after them like a swarm of bees.

It's even more uncanny what happens when the two sides of the coin meet. Nathan, fingers curled into fists, letting the rough words slide out between his teeth when Carter's almost gotten himself killed again. As if some multi-billion Global Dynamics bullshit is anywhere close to being as important as that goofy, bright-eyed man. Jack's own reply, even slower than usual, sometimes tinged with leftover pain. Soothing words mixed with a fair amount of 'liefjes' and 'beertjes' and the occasional apology. The hospital nurses know by now to look away when it gets to, "Gelieve stoppen met praten en kus me." Or not, as the case may be.

Of course, it's not always so dramatic as that. Endearments flip-flop regularly between the languages, inside jokes and faint jabs exchanged before they part from Cafe Diem to work. Even their banter can go bilingual if they go at it long enough. Allison just wishes she could tell when it's fighting or flirting. She'd have been saved the view of far too much making out.

The language finds its most comfortable niche within S.A.R.A.H., whose own tinny variety wakes Nathan up in the morning, assisting him to his cup of coffee and early morning brooding. Jack comes down a little later, hair still wet from his shower, asks him how he slept in his all too bubbly way. Most of Nathan's answers are more grunt than word, but Jack comprehends them perfectly as he shovels through bacon and pancakes or just a muffin when he's in a hurry. In either case, it ends the same way. With a quick kiss to his cheek, sometimes bristly if he's forgotten to shave, and those four carefully placed words.

"Ik hou van jou."

A lot of days, he lets him go at that. They've been together long enough that returning the sentiment isn't necessary. But every once in a while, when he's feeling particularly grateful for his baseball-loving, scientifically inept Sheriff, he pulls him back down into a more satisfying kiss, the kind you melt into, and replies.

"Ik hou ook van jou."


End file.
